St. Louis to Caruthersville Introduction:
St. Louis to Caruthersville Introduction:
Welcome to the 2014 update to the Rivergator: Paddlers Guide to the Lower Mississippi River!
This section of the Rivergator starts at the wild confluence of the Upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers above St. Louis, and continues down the Middle Miss to Cairo Illinois, and then down the Lower Mississippi to Caruthersville, Missouri. St. Louis sits like the center hub of a giant wheel. You find rivers every direction you go. Big rivers. The rivers that define the very heart of America: the Upper Mississippi, the Meramec, the Osage, the Illinois, the Kaskaskia, and the “Big Muddy” Missouri. And the Middle Miss gathers them all together like a big mother hen and off they go slipping and sliding southward through a ten thousand year old glacial-carved valley that is roughly ten miles wide. The Big Muddy Missouri (headwaters Idaho/Montana divide) is the longest river in the sprawling Mississippi drainage, and makes the greater Mississippi Valley the longest in the continent and amongst the three longest rivers in the world. Add in the Ohio and you know have the biggest river in North America, now tossing and turning wildly in its broad floodplain in between the rolling bluegrass hills of Kentucky and the Missouri Bootheel, swirling around big wild Islands like Wolf Island and Island No. 8, around big bends like Bessie’s Bend (20 miles to go one mile), and through big forests and big trees like the ones found at Big Oak Tree State Park. Everything is big about the Mississippi: big sky, big waters, big islands, big bluffs, big towboats, big industry. If you are a long distance paddler coming down the Upper Miss, tighten down the hatches! Everything changes as you lock through the last dam (Melvin Price L&D and maybe the Chain of Rocks L&D). Read below for a warning.
Warning: St. Louis Harbor
Expert paddlers only through St. Louis where concentrated industry and large volume water hazards create a 30-mile long maze of bridges, towboats, harbor boats, fleeted barges, and unexpected changes in hazardous water with whirlpools and eddies over chevrons, around pylons and docks, and around industrial installations. The fun starts below the confluence at the notorious Chain of Rocks. Intermediate paddlers will be capable on all other sections of this stretch of river below St. Louis to Caruthersville. But not here. Maybe you will get lucky and pass through unscathed, maybe not. If you are overloaded, or in a home-made raft, or some craft of questionable reliability, you would be best to upgrade at St. Louis. Be forewarned: you might get pulled over by the St. Louis Harbor Patrol or the Coast Guard for a boat inspection. And for good reason. Many an expedition has met its demise in the St. Louis Harbor. Keep reading into the Rivergator for chilling real life stories about a couple of those that didn’t make it, and why they failed. Don’t lead your adventure to disaster. Especially if you have others on board with you. If you have any doubts about your ability, portage around the industrial stretch. Better yet, hire expert guiding services such as those provided by “Big Muddy” Mike of Big Muddy Adventures.
Partners:
The Rivergator was born in 2011 and is coordinated by the Lower Mississippi River Foundation. The Rivergator is made possible by many partners, in this stretch including Joan Twillman, Mississippi River Trail Association; Charlene Waggoner, Greenway Network; Annette Anderson, 1 Mississippi; Terry Eastin, Mississippi River Trail, Thomas Malkowicz, Washington University Videographer, the Missouri Division of Tourism, National Great Rivers Museum, Missouri Dept of Conservation; USACE Riverlands Project Office, Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, Water Resources Center, Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources, Missouri River Relief and the Walton Family Foundation, which believes in "conservationomics": lasting solutions that make sense for the economy and the environment.
Wild Miles between St. Louis and Caruthersville:
In this stretch if river between St. Louis and Caruthersville wild places include:
Mile 136 to 130, 6 Wild Miles Above St. Genevieve, including historic Fort DeChartres. The lights of St. Louis can be seen dimly above the northern horizon Mile 121 to 110, 11 Wild Miles, below St. Genevieve to above Chester, including Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge-Kaskaskia Island and other protected public-use islands. Mile 105 to 82, 23 Wild Miles, below Chester to above Grand Tower, including Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge-Rockwood Island and Wilkinson Island as well as other protected public-use islands, parks & campgrounds. Mile 80 to 54, 26 Wild Miles Note: below Grand Tower to above Cape Girardeau with protected public-use islands and Trail of Tears State Park. Mile 45 to 8, 37 Wild Miles, below Cape Girardeau to above Cairo. Mile 935 to 925, 10 Wild Miles, below Columbus to above Hickman Mile 920 to 890, 30 Wild Miles, below Hickman to above New Madrid Note: Near Reelfoot Lake State Park -- frequent bald eagle sightings. Mile 867 to 850, 17 Wild Miles, below Tiptonville to above Caruthersville Harbor
Note: unbroken forests - very wild feeling.
Mississippi River Maps:
Middle Mississippi: For best navigation on the river and also while reading the Rivergator, use the The 2011 Upper Mississippi River Navigation Charts include the Middle Mississippi and can be downloaded from:
http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/NavigationCharts/UpperMississippiRiver.aspx
Lower Mississippi: And the US Army Corps of Engineers 2007 Maps of the Lower Mississippi River, which can be viewed or downloaded from the following website:
http://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/RiverNavigationCharts.aspx
All Rivergator mileage refers to the number of mileage used on these maps.
Consider the Atchafalaya (845 miles downstream)
Gulf-bound paddlers are advised to start planning now for their journey completion by adding in the possibility of a wonderful alternate route. And that is by following the Atchafalaya Exit through the 1.2 million acre largest river swamp in North America, the famed “River of Trees.” This option opens up at the Old River Lock and Dam, which is 845 miles downstream of the Missouri River Confluence. Many paddlers are not aware of it, but the Atchafalaya is definitely the most beautiful possible completion of your epic adventure down the biggest river in North America. Instead of more industry and very dangerous river conditions through Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Venice on the big river (including poor campsites with toxic air and water conditions), consider taking the Atchafalaya River through its paradise of wild variegated bottomland hardwood forests, tupelo gum swamps, and marshy coastal plains. It also coincides with the heart of cajun country. To be completely honest, there are some pipelines, and a few small oil storage and processing installations, but they are few and far in between. Almost 1/3 of the Mississippi River is diverted here as a way of protecting the City and Port of New Orleans, creating the 4th largest and the shortest big river on the continent. Why not go with the flow, and take the Atchafalaya? You have almost a thousand miles to mull over this delightful opportunity. We wanted to alert you to the possibility now so that you have plenty of time to debate your choice.
River Speed and Trip Duration
The Lower Mississippi River averages 3 mph at low water, 5 at medium water, and 7 at high water. An average paddler can add 2-3 mph to river speed. As such, you could easily make 10mph paddling down the Mississippi in high water! Then again, if you were paddling against a head wind in low water you might only make 2 or 3mph. Making adjustments for wind speed, stops along the way, and any alternate exploration, you can use the above to roughly estimate your time of travel on the big river. The last unknown factor is towboats. You might lose time due to necessary waits for passing tows. Never try to outrun a tow, and never paddle across their line of travel.
Some of the Challenges for Paddlers:
You might buck around in some of the big waves, but if you are a competent paddler you'll have no problem. The biggest obstacles for paddlers are tugboats, buoys, dredges, wing dams, piers & industrial docking. As with all rivers, any stationary object creates bad eddies, possible whirlpools, and should be avoided. Please leave a wide margin between you & any stationary object, and be prepared for unexpected changes of current direction and/or large violent boils. You’ll want to give tugboats plenty of maneuvering room as well. Paddle defensively around tugboats! Even though they are slow monsters (5-15mph), and you’ll see them from a long way off, but they often won’t see you, or if they do, they won’t have any choice in their navigation. They are slow to stop and slow to move. But beware of winds and/or water currents blowing you into their fronts or sides. The most dangerous place is in front of a tugboat, the safest place is behind it, or far from its sides.
Also be prepared for erratic & chaotic waves that sometimes erupt along powerful eddies on a windy day, or following the passage of one of the big tugboats pushing 42 barges. We commonly see 4-6 foot waves behind the bigger tows, sometimes 8 footers. Usually these are nice rounded waves (which you can actually paddle into and surf) but be ever vigilant for crashing waves, haystacks, and other rapidly changing conditions. Lastly, tie up canoes after making any landings. Fluctuations in river levels and waves will steal your canoe & gear otherwise!
National Weather Service:
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lsx&gage=EADM7
USGS Water Data:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?agency_code=USGS&site_no=07010000
Water levels according to the St. Louis Gage (SLG)
Low Water = 4 to 12 SLG
Medium Water = 13 to 24 SLG
High Water = 25 to 30 SLG
Flood Stage = 30 SLG and above
(SLG = St. Louis Gauge)
Flood Stage Warning: above 30 SLG paddlers are advised to stay off the river. Limited access. Most landings and approach roads will be underwater. Most islands will be gone. No easy camping. All sandbars will be covered. Fast waters with many hazards. All islands and landings will be surrounded by flooded forests full of snags, strainers, sawyers and all other dangerous conditions associated with floodwater moving through trees. Docks, wharves, dikes and any other man-made objects will create strong whirlpools, violent boils, and fast eddies. Towboats will create large waves. The Rivergator will not describe the river and its islands at any levels above flood stage.
High Water Note:
At 38 SLG the U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the St. Louis harbor to navigation.
Major Flood Stage: 40 (Harbor Closed to recreational boaters)
Moderate Flood Stage: 35
Flood Stage: 30
Action Stage: 28
Middle Mississippi River Mileage
Mileage on the Middle Mississippi indicates miles above the mouth of the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois, in accordance with the USACE system used on their navigation charts for the Upper Mississippi River. All mileage between St. Louis and the Ohio River is measured on this scale, Fort Defiance/Cairo at mile 0, Dogtooth Island 24, Thebes 44, Cape Girardeau 52, Moccasin Springs (Trail of Tears SP) 67, Grand Tower 81, Rockwood Island 102, Chester 110, Ste. Genevieve 123, Jefferson Barracks Bridge 169, Ead’s Bridge/Great Arch 180, Mosenthien Island 188, Chain of Rocks 190 and Missouri-Mississippi Confluence 196. The mouth of the Ohio River at Cairo Illinois is mile 982 for the Ohio River (up to Pittsburgh).
307 miles total
Quick Orientation:
There are several great options for starting your Middle Mississippi Adventure, which could be a daytrip down to the confluence, an overnight to the arch, or a month-long expedition to the Gulf. Regardless of your ultimate destination, paddlers can put in at either Columbia Bottoms Boat Ramp three miles up the Missouri or the Maple Island Boat Ramp at the base of the Mel Price Lock and Dam on the Upper Mississippi. Another choice is the canoe & kayak access below the confluence below Duck Island.
The adventure begins with a bang. Expert paddlers only in the St. Louis reach, familiar with big water extremes. Go to Safety Page for complete description of what you should know to safely paddle through St. Louis. If you are a moderate paddler, or are troubled by the challenges looming in front of you, you would be best advised to start your expedition downstream of the industrial reach. The best start place to start and avoid the industrial stretch would be either the Flamm City Boat Ramp (located 1.5 miles up the Meramec River near the 231 Bridge), or Hoppie’s Landing (near Kimmswick).
Starting your Middle Mississippi Expedition
Most Middle Miss paddlers put in on the cobblestones below the Great Arch and start paddling downstream from there. This choice is sometimes made due to the fear of the notorious Chain of Rocks. But don’t let healthy fear turn into paranoia! You can run the Chain at certain water levels (above 16SLG) and portage if it’s below. Like all matters concerning the big river there is a safe time to go, and a dangerous time to go, and it’s all related to water level. If the St. Louis gage is above 16 and you are an expert paddler, and your canoe (or kayak) is not overloaded, you will be fine running over the Chain. If it is above 20SLG almost anyone who knows how to read a river will be okay. Keep reading below for how to run the Chain safely.
When I first came down the river in the fall of 1982 my raft-mate and I were misled by the bad advice of well-intentioned people that we would die if we ignored the entrance to the Canal and went over the chain. The river that fall was high and we could have slipped over the chain easily and without any danger. In fact, as high as it was (around 35 SLG) we wouldn’t have even noticed the Chain as we passed over it. But we followed the bad advice given us upstream and entered the canal. Our raft was very slow to move. The long sweep oars proved ineffectual in the canal. We ended up dragging it manually by ropes down the boring mind numbing nine-mile length of the canal. It required 2 days of hard labor. 2 days of cordelling a raft slipping and tripping over the rip-rap of the hellish canal made us mad as hornets. When we finally got to the lock it was dark so we tied up to the rip rap lining the steep walls and fell into an uneasy slumber. Sometime during the night a tow flushed out the edges of the canal as it powered out of the lock chamber making the water level drop several feet. One edge of our raft was caught on the rip-rap and as the water dropped the whole raft tilted at an angle and we both slid into the cold water along with all of our loose gear on the raft, much of which we lost. This was the first and last time I will ever go down this canal, or any canal if I can help it. When it comes to deciding between the Canal or the Chain of Rocks make your own choice of course. But personally I would much rather make one short portage than paddle nine miles of flat water with a required lock passage.
16 SLG is the Cutoff. The secret to the Chain is river level. Check the daily gage for St. Louis. If the river is below 16 SLG then yes, you should avoid the Chain and instead find a safe place to put-in along the St. Louis waterfront. Or portage. Below 16SLG you can still paddle cautiously up to the Landing above the falls, take out, and portage several hundred feet downstream across the parking lot to the south side, and the get back in the river. But if the gage at St. Louis is 16 or above expert paddlers will be happy to know that you can safely paddle over the Chain. Wait until its at 20SLG if you are a moderate paddler. (WARNING: You should NEVER run any part of this stretch of river if you are a beginner paddler!)
You can start your expedition down the Middle Miss at one of two fantastic alternatives for put-in found several dozen miles upstream of the Arch on the two big rivers that come together to form the Middle Miss. Starting above St. Louis greatly adds to the experience of paddling through the city. It also means that you will be able to paddle on the waters of three different rivers, the Upper Miss, the Missouri and the Middle Miss. The first access option is the Maple Island Access Ramp RBD 200.6 below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam on the Upper Mississippi. And the second is the Columbia Bottoms Boat Ramp RBD at Mile 3 of the Missouri River.
Best Camping on the Middle Mississippi:
The best camping is usually found on the big islands along the length of the Middle Mississippi, which can be counted on the fingers of your two hands. If these locations concur with your paddling itinerary, and you end up near one of these at the “it’s time to find a campsite” time of day, by all means make your choice and stop on one of the below. As always, don’t camp on an open bar in threat of wind or inclement weather. Seek the protection of low scrubby trees, wing dams, or other natural features that will break the fury of the storm.
Mosenthein Island
Moro Island
Marquette Island
Burnette Bar
Brown’s Bar
Angelo Towhead
Locating good picnic and campsites on the Middle Mississippi River
As you read through the Rivergator you will find descriptions of the best campsites and picnic sites. Below 18 SLG there are endless choices along the banks and on the edges of the islands, some big, some small, some nothing more than a pile of sand thrown up against the forest. We’re not going to try and describe them all. We’re just going to describe the best ones. The quietest campsites with the best views. The places where you can make easy landings, find firewood, and enjoy some of the natural habitat of flora and fauna. As always, the river is in constant flux, and the nature of various campsites change from year to year, season to season. So use the Rivergator as a general guide, but let your common sense rule. At times it might be necessary to use some creative imagination to find the best campsites, especially within heavily trafficked places and amongst the industrial reaches. If you find yourself at nightfall in the St. Louis harbor you might be forced to take refuge on a pillow sized piece of sand behind a long line of fleeted barges, or maybe in an eddy below a giant grain elevator. Always respect private property. Stay below the average highwater line when possible. The most important thing is to secure your vessel and find a place where you won’t be blown away by any surprise thunderstorms or changes in the wind.
Leave No Trace:
Leave No Trace is for individuals who love the river and surrounding floodplain -- and want to embrace a personal role in preserving outdoor experiences for future generations.
Mississippi River paddlers are encouraged to practice the Leave No Trace principles, which are based on common sense. Leave No Trace includes picking up after yourself and not destroying nature. Adopted by the National Park Service and taught to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Mighty Quapaws, Leave No Trace is all about respecting the environment you are in and being a good visitor. Just the same as entering someone’s home, you are entering the homes of animals, birds, fish, insects and a unique floodplain ecosystem. It’s always best to be gentle and ask permission when possible. Pick up all trash and leave nothing but footprints. Pick a spot 100 yards away from the water’s edge and dig a hole at least a foot deep when going to the bathroom. Don’t leave toilet paper on the ground. Your consideration will make the journey much more enjoyable for future paddlers not to mention fisherman and other locals who also use the river. For more information about Leave No Trace, please visit their website: www.lnt.org
The Seven Leave No Trace Principles
Leave No Trace Principles appropriate to paddlers on the Mississippi River include:
1) Plan ahead and prepare
2) Dispose of waste properly
3) Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 12 inches deep at least 300 feet from your camp or the river’s edge. Cover cathole when finished. If you’re with a big group of people, insert stick above as marker “do not dig here” and inform your group of this practice.
4) Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
5) Leave what you find
6) Respect wildlife
7) Be considerate of other visitors
The member-driven Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. This copyrighted information has been reprinted with permission from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org
Where to camp before setting off on your expedition:
If you are driving to put-in on the Middle Mississippi at the Missouri River Confluence, the best camping in the area can be found in the St. Louis area at Pere Marquette State Park (Upper Mississippi, between Alton and Grafton):
Pere Marquette State Park, Route 100, PO Box 158, Grafton, IL 62037, 618-786-3323. Located 5 miles west of Grafton in Jersey County, Pere Marquette State Park comprises 8,050 acres making it Illinois' largest state park. The Park is famous for the beauty of its Fall colors and as a home for bald eagles in the winter. In addition to the spectacular views of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers from several scenic overlooks, visitors can take advantage of a variety of year-round recreational activities, including hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, boating, and taking part in interpretative programs.
Pere Marquette State Park was named for Jacques Marquette, a French missionary who was a member of a European expedition led by Louis Joliet. In 1673, Marquette and Joliet traveled down the Mississippi River as far as the Arkansas River. They were the first Europeans to reach the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. A large stone cross located east of the main Park entrance along Route 100 commemorates their historic landing.
The region’s history of animal and human habitation goes back to prehistoric times. Fossils can found in the strata, stripped bare by millions of years of erosion. At the foot of McAdams Peak, twin springs flow from Ordovician-Silurian rocks deposited 350 million years ago. Loess (pronounced ‘less’), the vertical banks of yellow clay seen along the road to the bluff-tops, is a windblown dust laid down a million years ago during the last Great Ice Age. This material covers all the ridges in the area and is topped by the rich black topsoil that supports the present flora.
The Park is dotted with over 150 small Native American burial mounds and the Illini Confederacy occupied the area when the Joliet and Marquette made their journey. A number of archaeological studies have been conducted here, most notably at the location of the Pere Marquette Lodge. Prior to its construction in the 1930's and again during the lodge’s expansion in 1985, evidence that the location was a prehistoric habitation site was uncovered.
Possible Dangers for Paddlers in the St. Louis Harbor, and How to Avoid:
As you prepare to paddle through the 20-mile long St. Louis Harbor you should be aware of a few critical elements: 1) Check the wind forecast. If the wind is going to be gusting anywhere out of the south above 20 mph stay on shore until it subsides. The harbor becomes a wind tunnel in a south wind, and the bridges increase the effect. Large crashing waves and accentuated turbulence as result. 2) There are very few opportunities for landing besides the waterfront in front of the Arch. Once you get started down the harbor there is no turning back, so make sure you have what you need and all business is taken care of so you can paddle with a clear and focused mind. 3) Avoid extreme turbulence around docking piers and Bridge pylons. 4) Best line of travel is Right Bank Descending from McKinley Bridge to Arch (inside of Chevrons), Middle channel below Arch, return to Right Bank Descending several miles above JB Bridge, after you pass all of the bankside wharfing and docks. 5) Chevrons have been placed RBD between Merchants Bridge and Stiles Bridge (RBD183-182). Added turbulence, especially around SLG 15-25. Paddle around chevrons (preferably on the inside RBD if there is no traffic) not through them. 6) Giant flotillas of fleeted barges are found anchored primarily on the Illinois side of the channel throughout the middle of harbor (below Arch). Dangerous position in front of any anchored vessels. Stay well away from fleeted barges, in particular don’t approach from top end. 7) Secure your decks, and make sure you have extra paddles, bailers and sponges, plenty of drinking water, lifejackets for each person on board and your vessel is not overloaded. You might be inspected along the way by the Harbor Patrol or Search & Rescue. 8) if you are on a large raft, or are paddling with a large group of paddlers, you might want to call ahead and alert the US Coast Guard. They will notify all commercial vessels on the water of your presence, which will add to the safety and success of your expedition.
Safe Paddling through the St. Louis Harbor involves the same elements for safe paddling anywhere, as detailed in the Rivergator Introduction: you need to have the right experience (big river skills), the right equipment (including a sea-worthy vessel) and the right preparations (did you check the wind forecast for the day?). For a complete breakdown and listing of the necessary skills and preparations you should have made, go to https://www.rivergator.org/paddlers-guide/safety/.
Work Boats:
Works boats service the towboats with crew and supplies, and perform repair functions. They are small but the move fast and make big waves. Their wakes typically make steep crashing waves that might upset a small canoe or kayak. Watch for their unpredictable and erratic motions in and around other tows and barges.
Bridge Piers:
There are 10 bridges in the St. Louis Harbor (including the I-270, US 66, and JB bridges). Each one is supported by piers and pylons which are anchored into the bedrock below the river. Upstream of the bridge water typically piles against the pier. An unsuspecting paddler could easily be flipped by the weight of the water slamming against the solid concrete or steel (or stone as in the case of the Ead’s Bridge). The water rips past each pier, and then eddies behind on the downstream side with strong whirlpools and boils bursting nearby. You could easily be flipped in these strong cross currents. If you did flip over, you might get sucked under by the strong water motions sucking downwards below the pier. Your best route is to maintain a healthy 100 feet from all bridge piers.
Wharfing:
At least half of the St. Louis Harbor is lined by wharves (and docks) of various sorts, shapes and sizes. For paddlers this means that you have no place to easily pull over in case of wind, waves, or the need to relieve yourself. At low water you might be able to sneak into any number of places between wharves and docks, or in between fleeted barges and docked tows. But in high water it would require expert paddling with a high degree of precision and little room for error to safely maneuver through all of the fast currents, swirling eddies, whirlpools and cross-currents, and dive in between the concrete piers and creosote pylons of the wharves, and find that safe water behind that idled 3-screw towboat. The dangers are obvious: hydraulics, sweepers, and strainers. Anything stationary in the river becomes a potential place for becoming stalled, impaled, and rolled over. This is all to say, don’t stop. Don’t try and pull over because you need to pee. Hold it and keep paddling until you are well beyond any of these man-made hazards, and then find a safe location to make landing.
Chevrons:
Chevrons have been placed several hundred yards offshore RBD between the Merchants Bridge and the Stiles Bridge (RBD183-182). The Chevron is a new method of river engineering added to places where navigable access is needed on both sides of the channel. Here, the docks RBD and the main channel LBD both need a good channel for year round deepwater access for towboats and others. Wing dams are not possible in this situation because they can only create deepwater on one side only. The chevron points upstream. In low water 6-12SLG you might see the actual rock structure as you’re paddling downstream under the Merchants Bridge. The water boils up along the top end and then sheds around the edges. You can follow the flow and find refuge underneath the chevrons, on their downstream side. Chevrons become most dangerous in medium water when the rocks disappear underwater and chaotic, turbulent upwellings result, especially around SLG 15-25. You can’t see the physical structures at all and the area becomes an unpredictable and indecipherable mess of currents and cross-currents to the unsuspecting. Best route: paddle around chevrons (preferably on the inside RBD if there is no traffic) not through them or over them. Waves from upstream tows will rise taller and crash over louder in the turbulent chevron area. In high water their influence is diminished. You will hardly notice any change between 25-30SLG and can freely use any part of the river you feel like paddling watching for traffic, and making adjustments according to your intended destination.
Boat Inspection by the US Coast Guard:
As you are paddling into the St. Louis Harbor your vessel will probably be inspected by the US Coast Guard, St. Louis Fire Dept Water Rescue Unit, or the St. Louis Harbor Patrol. They will be checking your vessel for freeboard, safety equipment, and anything relevant to what they consider safe navigation on the Mississippi River. Most aspects of the inspection you will have prepared for your expedition anyway, including life jackets, rescue bag, 1st Aid Kit, and an extra paddle. Be sure you are not overloaded on the day you paddle out of St. Louis (or any day you are paddling on the big river!). Pack one life jacket for each person on board. Keep an extra paddle handy. Make sure you have your bow and stern lines tied appropriately and ready to use. Clip an emergency whistle to your pfd. Show the inspection guys your VHF radio and your Upper Mississippi River Charts if you are carrying them. For rescue purposes you will be required to carry a rescue bag, life ring on a rope, or a throwable (type IV) life jacket. You will be required to have running lights if you are found on the river after dark, red and green forward, and white to the rear. You might be required to carry these if you are a large group, or a big raft.
List of Boat Essentials
Here is a complete list of what you will need to keep safe and pass a Coast Guard inspection with flying colors, and safely get down the river:
1) Type II pfd (life jacket), one for each person on board
2) Rescue bag
3) 1st Aid Kit
4) At least one extra paddle
5) Bow and Stern lines
6) Emergency whistle (clip to your pfd)
7) VHF Marine radio
8) Rescue flotation (For rescue purposes you will be required to carry a rescue bag, life ring on a rope, or a throwable (type IV) life jacket)
9) Running lights: red (port) and green (starboard) forward, and white to the rear
10) Sponges and bailers
Not required, but a good idea to always have on hand:
- 2 Water Bottles (filled)
- Fire Starter Kit
- Survival Kit
- Mississippi River Charts
- Cell Phone in waterproof case
You will need to demonstrate plenty of Freeboard. This is subjective to your vessel. What is enough freeboard for a paddleboard? For canoes, one foot is good, but it depends on the canoe. For kayaks, four inches? Six inches? Depends on the kayak.
Security at Landings
Unfortunately in these modern times, people are not as respectful of private property along the river as they used to be. It used to be that any vessel wasIn recent years there have been stories of vessels and paddling goods being stolen off of landings from Davenport, St. Louis, New Madrid, Caruthersville, Vicksburg and Memphis. You can hide your vessel somewhere. An inlet makes a good place to do this, or a flooded piece of woods or bushes. Paddle into the flooded thickets and tie it securely. Wade to shore and go to town. But your best practice might be to leave someone with your vessel or carry it with you. If you can’t carry or portage, pull your vessel all of the way out of the water and lock it up with a chain. Remove all valuables. Even then, it might not be safe. One paddler had chained and locked his canoe to the handrail in New Madrid to resupply. When he returned to the boat ramp several days later the chain had been cut and the canoe was gone. Sometimes your best alternative might be to camp on the river by your vessel instead of taking a hotel room, or enjoying a night on the town.
Big Muddy Mike intro:
Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures knows the river around St. Louis better than anyone else. His special name for the very busy St. Louis Harbor below the Arch is “The Gauntlet,” which is appropriate to the physical abuses you might suffer. Here is his introduction to this stretch of water: “Like a race horse at the starting gate of the Derby, the Mississippi River begins its 1156 mile free flowing run to the Gulf of Mexico at the Mel Price Lock & Dam in Alton, IL. The churning waters exit and leap forth, barreling their way into a magnificent valley set between two great long lines of bluffs stretching from just above St. Louis at the Great Confluence all the way to Cape Girardeau. On the Illinois side, river left descending, it becomes the great American Bottoms, one of the oldest and most fertile agricultural lands in the world. It is where the great Cahokian Mound Builders established their civilization in a setting able to sustain more than 20,000 people, one of the largest cities in the world for its time, 1000 A.D. On the Missouri side, river right descending, the river exhibits its connecting mannerisms to its Confluence with the Big Muddy Missouri River. Bottled up by levees, the two rivers parallel each other for 17 miles until they meet in an often turbulent mass of water marked by large boils and whirlpools.”
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